Friday, December 18, 2015

Room in the Inn

Would you find room for this family? "Nativity" by Carl Bloch

Do we give what we want, or what they need?

My husband and I gave each other an early Christmas present
this year: a weekend “staycation” at one of our favorite Boise boutique hotels.
After we checked in, surveying the chic modern décor with approval, we decided
to take a Linen District walk.

A few blocks later, we ended up at what was left of Cooper
Court.

Cooper Court was a tent city for the homeless that sprung up
last summer in the alley behind Interfaith Sanctuary and the Corpus Christi day
shelter on 16th Street. Now the days have turned cold, and city
officials, rightly concerned about sanitation and possible fire hazards, had
decided enough was enough. The tent city had to come down.

The city had evicted the residents the day before, and now
the street was blocked off, monitored by friendly and courteous Boise City
police officers who were assisting residents in moving or storing their
belongings.

One young man—he looked barely 18—with curly red hair tucked
beneath a baseball cap and fear in his eyes approached us. “I don’t know what
to do,” he said, gesturing at the alley. “I don’t have anywhere to go.” He
explained that he was unable to stay in one of the shelters because of his
arrest record, and he couldn’t go to another one because, “they just treat us
like animals.” A police officer approached him, addressed him by name, and
asked if he could help.

As we turned the corner, my husband, who usually only cries
at movies featuring dogs and/or football, burst into tears. “He was such a nice
young man!” he exclaimed. “It’s just wrong.”

Walking back to our hotel in silence, we passed an
elderly couple sitting beneath the freeway overpass, huddled together for
warmth. In most cases, entering the shelters would mean they would have to
separate: Aside from Interfaith Sanctuary, Boise doesn’t really have a solution
for people like them.

The irony of the situation was not lost on us. While my
husband and I certainly are not wealthy—we are both employed as adjunct college
instructors—we live in a comfortable 1800 square foot home in a safe, friendly
neighborhood. And here we were, just minutes from home, enjoying a weekend in a
luxury hotel, while blocks away, more than 100 people were wondering where they
would spend this and many more nights, hoping it wouldn’t snow.

Many of my friends erroneously thought that the city had
created an alternative for the residents of Cooper Court. But the city’s
shelter was temporary—one night, and a hot shower. The city was prepared for
200. Only 15 people took them up on the overnight offer. The cost to taxpayers
for this operation? More than $100,000. That’s a lot of rent money. Meanwhile, Ron Winegar from the Boise Police Department admitted that the city
doesn’t really have a long term solution.

Many of my friends donate time and money, like I do, to organizations that
work to help and house the least fortunate in our society. But what surprised
me when Cooper Court closed down were the reactions on social media from these kind,
compassionate, well-meaning people. “There is plenty of shelter space,” they
said. “These people are just choosing not to take advantage of the many things
we have offered them.”

The truth is, it’s not that simple. The shelter rules are
onerous; there is no sense of autonomy or personal space. My friends who have
spent nights there tell me that you are reminded—constantly—how “grateful” you
should be for a bed and some heat, despite all the strings it comes with.

Aside from Interfaith, which has limited space, the shelter
system doesn’t help families. It sometimes doesn’t help people with felonies.
And it really doesn’t help people who have serious mental illness.

I’m not discounting the many volunteer hours and dollars
people have given to help the homeless in our community. Nor am I saying that a
tent city is a good long term solution to our obvious problem of homelessness.

What I am saying is this: To those who say, “There’s room in
the inn” or “They should be grateful for what we give them,” here’s something
to think about this Christmas season. Are we giving what we want to give, or
are we giving what they need?

Acclaimed Boise musician Curtis Stigers and tireless
homeless advocate Jodi Peterson have announced an additional show for “The
Night Before the Xtreme-Unplugged” on Saturday, December 19 at the Egyptian to
benefit the Corpus Christi day shelter and those displaced from Cooper Court.
You can purchase tickets here.

8 comments:

I for one am just coming out of another period of homelessness, in a great transitional housing center (Thank God), & have found your insights to be true. I' d estimate that about 80% of the homeless people I've met are very intelligent, sober individuals who have had health issues, loss of a job, etc, that they work hard daily to overcome. Some homeless people have mental health and/or addiction issues, as do some non- homeless people. In my opinion, the attitude of, " well, if they're on welfare, we have a right to complain about their sobriety", isolates people. It divides people, as in, the 'good' people versus the 'bad' people. Life's not that simple; we are all ONE people. Treatment works a lot better than condemnation.

It is sad that citizens and organizations and government cannot seem to unite in a common effort to find workable solutions to homelessness---it would help if our leaders (in government) would embrace all possible options mainly ones that are working in other cities across the country and ideas outside the box that they seem to be in. If the community leadership (business and faith based) would come together and encourage a unity of action like they are doing in Utah---we could make headway with solutions that work and make sense. cITY OF BOISE GOVERNMENT PLEASE ESCAPE YOUR SMALL NARROW MINDED BOX AND WORK WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND REGULAR CITIZENS WHO HAVE GOOD IDEAS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF POOR LIVING ON THE STREETS OF OUR FAIR CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Matthew Scott--- www.idahotinyhouse.com

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About Me

Liza Long, aka the Anarchist Soccer Mom, is a writer, educator, mental health advocate, and mother of four children. She loves her Steinway, her husband, her kids,and her day job, not necessarily in that order. Her book "The Price of Silence: A Mom's Perspective on Mental Illness" from Hudson Street Press is available in bookstores and online. The views expressed on this blog are entirely her own and in no way reflect the views of her employer (or anyone else, for that matter).